1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication device which receives an incoming communication, communicates with the caller, receives data as to the type of the incoming communication, and automatically channels the communication according to the data received. More particularly, the present invention relates to a communication switch device which interfaces with an incoming telephone line, internal telephones, and is adapted to interface with an internal facsimile or "fax" machine and an auxiliary device, such as a modulator/demodulator device (hereinafter referred to as a "modem"), at the site. Further, the switch device receives the incoming telephone call, identifies the type of call, and automatically channels the call. The invention also monitors the status of the internal equipment, and provides means for restricting access to the various equipment which interface with switch device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Equipment in telephone systems which interface with an incoming telephone line and internal equipment to receive an incoming call, identify the call and/or caller and channel the incoming call on a selective basis is known. This interface equipment is sometimes referred to as a switchboard and has required a telephone or a telephone switchboard operator. A telephone switchboard is usually used where the telephone system includes a plurality of telephones and numerous telephone lines. It is very seldom that a telephone switchboard is used in conjunction with an internal telephone system that has two or three telephones and as few as one incoming telephone line. The initial cost of a switchboard, and the cost of its operation, make the use of a telephone switchboard impractical.
Since the development of a facsimile machine which is connected to a standard incoming telephone line, a single telephone line office having a fax machine is commonly found. Due to the increase in unsolicited facsimiles ("junk faxs") which one receives, there is provided a feature which requires a secret code in order to gain access to the facsimile or telephone line. Obviously, this feature eliminates "junk faxs" thereby maximizing the availability of the fax line to receive desired faxs.
In some offices, office personnel receive all incoming telephone calls on several telephone lines, whether voice or data communication, and manually direct incoming calls as required to either the facsimile machine or an individual. Technical advances in interface equipment provide telephonic signal switching apparatus which when interfaced between incoming telephone lines and internal telephones equipment automatically channel incoming calls on a priority basis during a particular, predetermined time period Apparatus such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,773 to Takahashi, which issued on May 5, 1987, provides for plugging an external telephone into a facsimile machine, for example, with delayed response on the part of the facsimile machine so that manual pickup of incoming calls can be made before response is made to an incoming signal or call by the facsimile machine When using such equipment, all incoming phone calls are audible, but office personnel have no indication as to whether the incoming call is a data communication (for a fax machine) or a voice communication (for some office person) Further, should the incoming call be a data communication and the called party pick up the telephone receiver, the incoming call will be lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,212 to Crowder, which issued on Oct. 8, 1985, provides interface equipment for an internal telephone system having a modem apparatus which system automatically channels incoming telephone calls on a selective frequency band basis. The equipment also provides for superimposing voice communication over data communication. This interface equipment limits the audio range of the internal telephone system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,660 to Yoshida, which issued on June 30, 1987, is directed to an apparatus for a facsimile machine which answers an incoming call and generates an identifying signal, such as a tone, as in normal fax machine protocol. If no facsimile machine response signal is received by the facsimile machine, it assumes the incoming call is a voice communication and generates a break tone which alert office personnel. This built-in fax-telephone apparatus may then be used for voice communication. This apparatus limits the channeling of a voice communication to another telephone since the telephone on the facsimile machine must be used to answer the incoming call.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,080 to Nakajima et al., which issued on Sept. 20, 1988, is directed to an audio output or speaker on a facsimile machine that allows the called party to monitor the communication as it occurs. The called party and the calling party may use their respective built-in fax-telephones to communicate irrespective of the communication mode set at the called station. This apparatus does not channel incoming telephone calls according to the characteristics of the call, i.e. data communication or voice communication.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,218 to Hashimoto, which issued on Apr. 21, 1987, is directed to a circuit and a protocol which is built into a facsimile machine. A standard telephone is connected to the facsimile machine having the circuit of the Hashimoto patent. The telephone will ring when an incoming call is received. If the called party does not answer the line after a predetermined number of rings, the facsimile machine will receive the line and issue an outgoing tone to the caller. Simultaneously, the facsimile machine will sound an alert to the called party to pick up the telephone. If the facsimile machine receives a tone or response from the calling party, the facsimile machine will switch to the facsimile mode and lock out the telephone. If no response is received from the calling party, the facsimile machine will send out a voice message "Please wait".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,434 to Hashimoto, which issued on Apr. 22, 1986, teaches a telephonic switching apparatus which interfaces an incoming telephone line with a facsimile machine and a telephone answering machine. A telephone is connected into or in parallel with the answering machine. When a communication comes over the incoming telephone line, the answering machine and associated telephone ring in unison.
If the associated telephone is not picked up, the answering machine answers the incoming call. Upon instructions from the answering machine, a message may be left if the incoming call is a voice communication or a facsimile machine code signal may be sent if the incoming call is a data communication. If a facsimile machine code signal is received by the answering machine, an incoming call signal is then sent by the answering machine to the internal facsimile machine. When the facsimile machine answers the incoming communication, the answering machine and associated telephone are blocked out and a data communication takes place. The protocol of the answering machine limits the apparatus. Should the answering machine answer the incoming call before the receiver of the associated telephone is picked up to answer the call, the answer machine must be turned off or else the communication cannot be made over the associated telephone. This virtually requires that the user of the associated telephone be located close to the answering machine. Further, there is only a single channel for calls, that is, only the facsimile machine. Another disadvantage of this apparatus is that all incoming calls ring on the associated telephone regardless of whether the incoming call is a data communication or a voice communication. Essentially, there is no distinguishing of calls prior to the ringing of the internal telephone.
There is presently on the market a DATA-DOC facsimile director device which is made by Data Doc Electronic, Inc. of Austin, Tex. This device greets an incoming caller with a synthesized voice message, and recognizes a Touch Tone Code to determine the requested telephone line. Further, this device will default to a fixed particular line, such as a facsimile, if no valid response is received. However, this device fails to provide a default selection switch which permits a user to select the line to default to when a valid response is not received. Further, this device provides a dead line in the no-power condition thereby failing to permit the normal operation of the telephone or facsimile when power is not supplied.